After the meeting, Mr Lyons said he had felt “ambushed” by the deputations.

“This DA has been three years in the making and, as I said at council, it’s strange that at the 11th hour residents are voicing objections.

“I was surprised at the number of neighbours who suddenly appeared and it felt like an ambush.

“In July 2012, the council sent notifications regarding the DA to 30 people surrounding our Kulbardi Close property and did not receive one objection, not one.

“Prior to this I conducted formal and informal meeting with neighbours and there were no objections.”

Mr Lyons noted no residents were present at December’s council meeting where councillors voted in favour of having draft conditions of consent put to them after a deferral to make a site visit.

He said the objections presented by residents on Wednesday were “incorrect and irrelevant, and we are now preparing a report to reply to every matter raised”.

The DA will be back before council on March 5 and Mr Lyons said he is ready to fight for the school.

“This school is needed and I’ve had massive interest from parents, it’s something the shire will be proud of,” he said.

“The best way to put it is that it will be built to the ‘laws of nature’.

“It’s about giving children access to the natural world, it’s a healthy school that will offer space and natural surrounds which is very much lacking at other schools in the area.

"I have resided on my property for over 30 years - from before the creation of Sapphire Coast Drive and Kulbardi Close - and watched Tura Beach grow from only a few houses.

"No doubt there will be pressure on our land in the future and we feel a school is the best way to preserve the natural beauty of the location as opposed to perhaps a subdivision of houses or commercial activities."